Packey McFarland Vs Mike Gibbons

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• Newspaper decision for Gibbons from Grantland Rice (New York Tribune), Walter St. Denis (New York Globe), Jack Curley (New York American), Robert Edgren (New York Evening World), Brooklyn Eagle, Brooklyn Standard Union, Newark Sunday Call, Jack Malaney (Boston Journal), Associated Press (7-3 by rounds).
• Newspaper decision for McFarland from J.G. Vreeland (New York Morning World), Charley White (New York World), New York Herald, Eddy Carter (New York Sun), Mal Doyle (New York Press), Damon Runyon (New York American), New York Call, Abe Attell (New York Evening Telegram), Ring W. Lardner (Chicago Tribune), Bill Foreman (Chicago Herald), Nate Lewis (Chicago Examiner), Ed W. Smith (Chicago American), William H. Rocap (Philadelphia Public Ledger), Philadelphia Inquirer, George R. Holmes (United Press; 4-1-5 by rounds), Joe O’Neil (Los Angeles Times), Jimmy De Forest (Asbury Park Evening Press), Jack Lait (Minneapolis Tribune), Morning Oregonian (Portland), Allentown Democrat, United Press (another round-by-round report in Los Angeles Times).
• A draw from P.T. Knox (New York Evening Telegram), Bat Masterson (New York Morning Telegraph), New York Times, Tom Andrews (Milwaukee Leader), J.H. Ritchie (Minneapolis Journal).
• Billy Joh, the referee, expressed his private opinion that it should have been a draw. Willie Ritchie said it was "about a draw, with the shade, if any, to McFarland."
• New York Press report was not signed, but a secondary source mentioned that Mal Doyle (previously a boxing manager in St. Louis, MO) reported for that newspaper. The same secondary source listed Eddy Carter as the author of the New York Sun report, which was also unsigned. Boston Journal had its boxing writer Jack Malaney at ringside. Philadelphia Inquirer had its sporting editor at ringside. Los Angeles Times had its own reporter, Joe O'Neill, at ringside, and also printed a United Press round-by-round report that was completely different from more common United Press round-by-round report. (That one was identical to round-by-round printed in the Brooklyn Standard Union, so either it was written by the Standard-Union reporter, or the Standard-Union borrowed the United Press's round-by-round report in addition to its main report--which was probably written by Bill Rafter, sporting editor.) The Portland (OR) Morning Oregonian 's report was unsigned, but was different from other reports listed and explicitly stated that its author was at "front row seat" at ringside. Newark (NJ) Sunday Call had their staff correspondent at ringside. Abe Attell had a long write-up in the New York Evening Telegram, describing his impressions of the bout, so it's listed among the above newspaper decisions. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle 's report was unsigned, but was probably penned by sporting editor Abe Yager. Allentown Democrat and Allentown Leader (Pennsylvania) had their reporters at the bout, but only the Democrat printed it's own version, the Leader just quoting several New York newspapers. Boxing trainer Jimmy De Forest reported for a New Jersey newspaper Asbury Park Evening Press. Minneapolis Morning Tribune on Monday carried two reports - by W. S. Forman and Chicago playright Jack Lait.

 

Robert Edgren, and comments from Gibbons and McFarland
The evening world., September 13, 1915, Final Edition, Page 8, Image 8
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/...asetext=&andtext=&dateFilterType=range&page=1

Grantland Rice
New-York tribune., September 12, 1915, SPORTING SECTION, Image 11
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/...asetext=&andtext=&dateFilterType=range&page=1
New-York tribune., September 12, 1915, Page 2, Image 12
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/...asetext=&andtext=&dateFilterType=range&page=1

Comment on the disagreement
New-York tribune., September 13, 1915, Page 13, Image 13
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/...asetext=&andtext=&dateFilterType=range&page=1

Critical comment on the fight
The sun., September 13, 1915, Page 8, Image 8
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/...asetext=&andtext=&dateFilterType=range&page=1

The sun., September 12, 1915, Second Section Sporting and Automobiles, Image 13
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/...asetext=&andtext=&dateFilterType=range&page=1

 

Bits from a few papers
The Columbia Republican., September 14, 1915, Page 6, Image 6
http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lc...asetext=&andtext=&dateFilterType=range&page=1

George R Holmes
The Pokeepsie evening enterprise., September 13, 1915, Page 2, Image 2
http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lc...asetext=&andtext=&dateFilterType=range&page=1

The Ogdensburg journal., September 13, 1915, Page 5, Image 5
http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lc...asetext=&andtext=&dateFilterType=range&page=1

The Brooklyn Daily Eagle gives it to Gibbons and calls the bout disappointing. It said Gibbons was overtrained, and McFarland was "slow and heavy".

 

It's interesting that a lot of the papers were critical of it

 

I've seen a couple comments about them having to make 147, though boxrec lists them both as heavier. Do you know what happened with the weights?

 

The Standard Union says "As a boxing contest is was fast, but as a fight it was slow and lacking aggressiveness."

 

Very odd situation. I mean Abe Attell etc. must've seen something. The pre-fight expectations maybe coloured it, but you wouldn't think to that extent.

Do you think It's possible some of McFarland's slappy punches didn't show up as well on the film?

I might try comparing the round by round fight report with the film on YT